Penetration of neurotrophins and cytokines across the blood-brain blood spinal cord barrier

Now that peptides are no longer considered too large to cross the blood-brain barrier, attention has turned to the possibility that larger substances like polypeptides might also enter the central nervous system (CNS). This review summarizes evidence showing that many cytokines and neurotrophins not only enter the brain but also enter the spinal cord, sometimes faster than into the brain. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.